Pages

Thursday, 17 September 2015

The Rik Basra Leukaemia Campaign

Yesterday I took part in Rik Basra's dynamic Pass It On Campaign. Before I talk about our excitement at collecting the flag from the Leicester Fire Brigade, I shall explain a bit about the campaign.

Every year, 2000 people in the UK need a stem cell transplant to help them to battle against blood cancers but suitable donors are often hard to find. The Rik Basra Leukaemia Campaign has organised a month-long event to encourage people, especially from minority groups, to sign up to the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Register.

A flag is being ceremonially passed between Leicester groups by members of the Leicester Fire Brigade.It is covered with signatures of all those people who have registered and, when the project is completed, the flag will be displayed at the Leicester Royal Infirmary Cancer Unit. The photographs below show myself and Miriam, Chair of the Leicester Progressive Synagogue, collecting the flag. The firemen made quite a display of passing it on to us with ornamental firehoses playing and a huge crane ladder.

We were on the balcony watching as the flag swung into the air and into our hands. (That's me with the yellow jumper on.) It was all very exciting.

We then took the flag back to the Progressive Synagogue where a small but enthusiastic group of supporters turned up to register and add their signatures to the flag.

Of course we would all willingly have signed up too but for the age restriction of 16 to 30. As Miriam pointed out, even our children are too old to contribute! That hurt, but at least we were able to do our bit to spread the word.

8 comments:

Hi Ros - what a great way of promoting such an essential campaign ... just helping one person through such a dreadful disease must resonate with us all ... Love the flat and you and Miriam supporting the cause.

I don't know the answer to that, Val. It's not donating blood. To register people have to provide a sample of spit and if they are called upon they would donate the stem cells in their blood. That's as far as my know,edge goes. Sorry.

Rosalind Adam

I am a writer, committed worrier and nostalgia obsessive with a fascination for all things historical. I am currently enjoying a return to education, studying for an MA in Creative Writing at Leicester University. Please scroll down to see my books...

The Children's Book of Richard III

This is my latest book, illustrated by Alice Povey. Click on the picture to buy a copy or go to Amazon.

Children's History of Leicester

A Children's History of Leicester published by Hometown World Publishers, 2011

Bathtime Rap

Bathtime Rap is a fun children's picture book published by Franklin Watts, 2008.

Heritage Funded Projects

I was lead facilitator on the following two Heritage Lottery funded projects:

Leicester Jewish Voices

In 2009 I coordinated a memories project looking at the Leicester Jewish Community during the 1950s and 60s. You can see the website by clicking on the picture.

Local Cemetery Project

I coordinated the cataloguing of the Jewish section of Leicester Gilroes to provide a genealogical search facility. Subsequent research of a number of the headstones enabled us to record 'The Lives Behind the Stones'. 2014/15